Investing in quality property

Written by Engel & Völkers on 5/29/15

Most buyers are looking for the best opportunity to invest in quality property. Whether it’s houses or apartments for sale, it’s important not to be persuaded solely by the price and/or the return. It all depends on the client’s expectations.

The criteria will be more personal if it involves a property for living in : quality of the surrounding area, accessibility, workplace, proximity to schools and shops, etc.

If, on the other hand, it’s about a property for investment purposes, the criteria may be different : the intrinsic quality of the property, the choice of location, the demand of the rental market in the area as well as the standard of living of the local residents. Often these last 2 criteria will depend on the first.

The objective of a rental investment is, for its part, twofold. Apart from the security of bricks and mortar, there is a need to maximise return and to achieve an increase in value : while the former objective depends more on the market, on current supply and demand, it is the latter that is most important in the medium and long term. The investor has to focus on this latter point. The better the location, the more stable the return will be, and the more regular and consistent the increase in value will be.

If that is transposed to Brussels, it seems to be the local areas to the south and east of the city that should be prioritised.

However, when it comes to rental investment, there are other interesting areas in Brussels, such as the city centre. It is evident that the supply of new buildings is growing and that demand is following. It’s coming, in particular, from employees and officials, often foreigners working at the European Commission or its satellite offices, and sometimes from ‘’tax immigrants’’ or others coming from neighbouring countries and loving city life.